Slip-on handle grip



April 30, 1963 'A. M. SULLIVAN SLIP-0N HANDLE GRIP Filed Aug. 3, 1959 INVENTOR.

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United States Patent 3,087,729 SLIP-0N HANDLE GRIP Arthur M. Sullivan, Downers Grove, Ill., assignor to Lamkin Leather Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed Aug. 3, 1959, Ser. No. 831,381 2 Claims. (Cl. 27381.5)

This invention relates in general to a hand grip for golf clubs, instruments, tools, and the like, but is here more particularly described as a hand grip for golf clubs in which the grip is separately formed and may be supplied to golf club makers, users and repairers for application to the ends of golf club shafts or handles.

In the ordinary application of handle grips by golf professionals, it is customary to apply a foundation or base of yielding material which is generally tapered and increased at the extremity of the club and to wrap spirally thereon a strip of fabric leather or plastic material which forms a firmbut yielding surface entirely surrounding the golf handle and the grip to which the hands are applied in overlapping or interlocking manner common to golfing use and practice. A comfortable grip of this kind therefore required a wrapping, first of rubber or other resilient tape over which a spiral winding of leather or other material was applied in the same or a reverse spiral direction. This winding and application to a. golf club handle requires much skill and practice and takes considerable time to make the proper wrappings which are not always successful at the first attempt so that they must be repeated.

The present invention provides an independent handle grip which is separately prepared, usually in quantities and supplied to golf club manufacturers or to separate golf professionals so that they may take the proper grip, suitably cover the inside bore thereof and the outside of the club handle with cooperating adhesive material, sim ply slipping the prepared handle in place and thereby securing or attaching it by means of the cement. No other operation is necessary; the complete grip is tightly secured in place with a properly wound spiral grip having a resilient and flexible foundation which is pleasing in appearance, and also adapted for proper engagement of the hands with the club.

An important object of the present invention is therefore in the provision of a preformed handle grip having a spirally wound strip or cover which is attached to a tapered flexible and yielding foundation at both ends of the tape.

A further object of the invention is to provide a grip with a spiral winding having an integral resilient foundation which extends beyond the grip at one end to facilitate the insertion and application of the grip to a golf club shaft to which it is applied.

A further object of the invention is to provide a resilient foundation for a preformed handle grip in which the outer surface of the foundation is formed with a shouldered portion at one end which is substantially flush with the continuation of the surface of a spiral wrapping applied and secured thereto.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a preformed handle grip having a foundation of resilient material closed at one end and with a thin tapered extremity at the other end and an intermediate space between the tip and the extremity, to seat a spirally wound cover for the grip flush with the edges of the tip and extremity.

Other objects of the invention will appear in the specification and will be more apparent from the accompanying drawings in which,

FIG. 1 shows a golf club with a handle grip in accordance with this invention applied thereto.

3,087,729 Patented Apr. 30, 1963 FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the grip apart from the handle, as taken on the line 72 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a modification of a flexible foundation for the grip in which an end cap is formed integral therewith; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the grip as taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

Handle grips, in accordance with this invention are intended to be supplied as original equipment with golf clubs as furnished by the manufacturers or makers of golf clubs, and also the individual grips are supplied to golf shops, golf professionals and others for separate and independent application to the golf clubs, to replace worn grips, and to renew and vary the grips in accordance with individual tastes and desires.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, this invention is described as applying to a golf club 10 with a metal shaft or shank with a wood head 12 although it may also be applied to a wooden shaft and iron head.

The outer ends of golf handles are usually tapered to a slight degree increasing in size to the outer end of the club and a handle grip in accordance with this invention is likewise graduated in thickness from the inner to the outer end thereof and comprises a resilient foundation 14 of rubber or rubber like material, or some other plastic mixture which is cast or formed with a central bore 16 extending lengthwise through it, and preferably graduated slightly in the same direction as the graduation of the thickness of the foundation to conform with the normal or usual graduation of the golf shaft or shank to which it is applied.

The foundation, as shown in FIG. 2, has a shoulder 18 near the extremity of its smaller end which is of sufficient thickness to receive a cover preferably in the form of a flexible and yielding tape 20 wrapped spirally about the foundation from the outer end thereof up to the shoulder 18, the tape cover being of a thickness substantially the same as that of the shoulder 18 so that the outer surface of the cover and of a tip 22 as formed by the shoulder being substantially smooth and continuous. The outer surface of the tip 22. is preferably left bare and uncovered and the adjacent end of the cover tape is additionally held in place at the shoulder by means of a close fitting ring 24 of material which is adhesively applied over the end of the cover tape and the adjacent shoulder 18 of the tip 22. The tip has a thin and flexible extremity 26, preferably not a knife edge but of graduated and reduced thickness such that it may be easily expanded or stretched over the end of a golf club shank or handle to which it is applied, thus facilitating the introduction and application of the grip to the shank.

A complete slip-on handle grip is provided which may be made of foundations of different colors with tapes 20 of different designs and different colors and with sealing rings 24 of contrasting color to accentuate the difference between the tape wrapping. and the tip 22 which shows the necessary color of the foundation itself. Such grips of different designs may be kept in stock so that a prospective purchaser or user of the grip may select one of the different colors or designs which is pleasing to do and this grip may be applied to a golf club of his choice.

In applying the cover tape 20 to the foundation, an adhesive 28 is commonly applied to the foundation which is engaged by the under side of the tape as it is wrapped thereon and the adhesives now employed are so efficient that the materials of the tape usually fabric, leather or other plastics are secured very firmly to the outside of the foundation and the configuration of the wrapping itself as well as the edges of the tape provide a suitable surface for engaging the thumbs and fingers of a user so that they will adhere closely to the grip.

Instead of making the foundation open at both ends, a

a foundation 30 as shown in FIG. 3 may be cast, molded or otherwise formed with an end tip '32 at the larger end, rounded on the outside and closing the inner bore 34. The outer periphery of the tip forms'a shoulder 36 which is similar to the shoulder 18 on the tip 22 at the other end and between which a cover tape 20 as shown in FIG. 2 may be applied, flush with'the edges of the shoulders.

In applying these handle grips to a golf club, an adhesive is applied to the outside of the club end, and material which activates the adhesive is applied to the inner bore of the hand grip, the smaller tip 22 is started over the end of the handle, and the grip is applied in place on the handle to seat it firmly thereon and to secure it firmly in place by means of the adhesive. A common type of adhesive is one with a rubber base which is applied to the golf club end, activated by a liquid such as gasoline, so that when placed together, they will form a tight and lasting adhesive for securing the grip firmly in place.

After the grip is applied over the golf club handle, a ferrule 38 which may be in the form of a ring is slipped over the inner extremity 26 and it is firmly and preferably adhesively secured thereto. Both the ring 24 and the ferrule 3 8 may be a tape which is adhesively secured at the relatively opposite ends of the tip 22 forming a decorative finish for the grip, setting off the color tip 22 and affording an additional color variation for the entire grip itself.

In both forms, as shown, a spiral wrapping is applied to the foundation, terminating in an open end or with an attached and integral cap, the covering portion of the grip being in the form of a spiral tape which is adhesively secured to'the foundation flush within the shoulders (or the shoulder) at the ends thereof.

While I have described preferred forms of the invention, in some detail, they should be regarded as illustrations or examples rather than as limitations or restrictions of the invention, since various changes in the construction, combination and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A preformed flexible slip-on handle grip for golf clubs comprising an outside shouldered tubular resilient foundation with a smooth inner bore, decreasing in thickness from the outer end inwardly, and having the internal bore to fit closely and adapted to be adhesively attached to the outer end of a golf club handle, shoulders located near the ends of the grip to define a shallow recess between them of substantially uniform thickness, 21 flexible flat adhesive tape spirally wound in edge to edge relation fitting in the recess to fill the space between the shoulders and to fit flush with the outer edges thereof, the inner extremity of the foundation being graduated in thickness from the adjacent shoulder and being thinner at the end and thus more flexible, adapting it to be stretched more easily in applying it over the outer end of a golf club handle to which the grip is attached.

2. A preformed slip-on handle grip for golf clubs comprising a tubular resilient foundation having a closed, integral and preformed cap to extend over the end of a golf club handle to which it is attached, the outer edge of the cap being rounded and extending laterally to form an outer shoulder, a flat spiral tape applied to the foundation in abutment with the shoulder and flush with the outer surface thereof and terminating adjacent the other end of the foundation, the inner extremity of the foundation beinggraduated in thickness and being thinner at the end and more flexible, adapted to be stretched more easily -in applying it over the outer end of the golf club handle to which the grip is attached, and the integral cap engaging the end of a golf club handle and thus limiting its insertion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,139,843 Brown May 18, 1915 1,330,791 Dickey Feb. 17, 1920 1,604,696 Jordy Oct. 26, 1926 1,648,175 Hamel et a1. Nov. 8, 1927 1,687,170 Mattern Oct. 9, 1928 2,000,295 Oldham May 7, 1935 2,009,969 Hampton July 30, 1935 2,132,219 Pirie Oct. 4, 1938 2,133,696 Hall Oct. 18, 1938 2,155,517 Turner Apr. 25, 1939 2,195,626 Lamkin Apr. 2, 1940 2,459,996 Duncan Jan. 25, 1949 2,468,202 Karns Apr. 26, 1949 2,782,035 East Feb. 19, 1957 2,877,018 Turner Mar. 10, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 361,349 Great Britain Nov. 16, 1931 

1. A PREFORMED FLEXIBLE SLIP-ON HANDLE GRIP FOR GOLF CLUBS COMPRISING AN OUTSIDE SHOULDERED TUBULAR RESILIENT FOUNDATION WITH A SMOOTH INNER BORE, DECREASING IN THICKNESS FROM THE OUTER END INWARDLY, AND HAVING THE INTERNAL BORE TO FIT CLOSELY AND ADAPTED TO BE ADHESIVELY ATTACHED TO THE OUTER END OF A GOLF CLUB HANDLE, SHOULDERS LOCATED NEAR THE ENDS OF THE GRIP TO DEFINE A SHALLOW RECESS BETWEEN THEM OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM THICKNESS, A FLEXIBLE FLAT ADHESIVE TAPE SPIRALLY WOUND IN EDGE TO EDGE RELATION FITTING IN THE RECESS TO FILL THE SPACE BETWEEN THE SHOULDERS AND TO FIT FLUSH WITH THE OUTER EDGES THEREOF, THE INNER EXTREMITY OF THE FOUNDATION BEING GRADUATED IN THICKNESS FROM THE ADJACENT SHOULDER AND BEING THINNER AT THE END AND THUS MORE FLEXIBLE, ADAPTING IT TO BE STRETCHED MORE EASILY IN APPLYING IT OVER THE OUTER END OF A GOLF CLUB HANDLE TO WHICH THE GRIP IS ATTACHED. 